LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES: ITS ROLE AND CHALLENGES ON STUDENTS’ LEARNING IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) is an essential tool for learning and its various applications have become quite indispensable is in everyday teaching and learning. These applications bring innovation to the teaching and learning process and it has the ability to impact upon the quality and quantity of that process. ICT plays a vital role in giving people access to information, extend ideas through processing, transform ideas or knowledge into new forms and give people the opportunity to share their knowledge. However, we find that many institutions in Nigeria have not been able to maximize the advantages of these technologies though seemingly available. The use of these technologies come with a variety of constraints that stand as obstacles to students’ learning. By examining the literature and from observation, we found that some of these challenges include unavailability of technical support services, inadequate bandwidth, the high cost of devices, internet connectivity, maintenance, and software application amongst others. This study recommends that emphasis should be placed on expanding the nation’s internet infrastructure, the provision of technical support services and the training of not just the teachers but the learners on the use of these learning technologies.